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6

with water. Such are the follies of the lovers of the body, this is the end of the lovers of wealth and pleasure. 1.12.1 And it is fitting for the prudent and provident person of the future, considering the parable as a kind of preventative medicine for a disease, to flee the experience of similar evils, having practiced compassion and love for humanity as a cause of the future life. For the word set out the admonition for us dramatically using specific characters, so that, having been instructed in a lively and demonstrative way in the law of the good life, we might never despise the precepts of Scripture as frightening only in word, but not bringing the threat to punishment. 1.12.2 For I know that many people, being enticed by such suspicions, grant themselves unhindered authority to sin. But we are taught the very opposite by the present Scripture, that no pardon from that judgment alleviates the punishment, nor does love for humanity lessen the appointed penalty, if indeed we must substantiate the argument with the words of the patriarch. 1.12.3 For though he was beseeched much by the rich man and heard countless pitiful cries, he was neither moved by the lamentations nor did he rescue the one being bitterly tormented from his pain, but with a stern mind he ratified the just judgment, saying that God allotted to each according to their worth; and to you, who luxuriated in life in the midst of others' misfortunes, the penalty for your transgression, which you are suffering, has been imposed; but to the one who toiled there and was trampled upon and endured a bitter life in the flesh, a certain sweet and gladdening state has been assigned here. 1.12.4 And in addition to these things, he says there is a great chasm, preventing them from mixing with one another and separating those who are being punished from those who are being honored, so that both may live distinctly from each other, having an unconfused enjoyment of the good and the bad things. But I think the perceptible parable is an enigma of an intelligible contemplation. For let us not indeed think that a trench was actually dug there by the angels, such as the boundaries of enemies that are made in military camps, but Luke, describing for us the separation by which they are separated from one another, both those who lived according to virtue and those who lived otherwise, proposed the image of the chasm. 1.12.5 And Isaiah seals this thought of ours, speaking thus in a way: Is not the hand of the Lord strong enough to save, or has his ear become heavy that it cannot hear? But your sins separate between you and God.

2.t.1 A homily of the same on the unjust steward, from the gospel according to Luke

2.1.1 I have often told you in my discourses that a certain fabricated and false notion, having fallen upon people, increases sins and diminishes the good things which each of us ought to practice in our own way of life. And this is the notion that we possess everything we have in the use of life as masters and lords. And on account of this supposition we fight fiercely for them and wage war and go to law and cling to them to the utmost as exceptional possessions. 2.1.2 But the truth is not so, but very much the contrary. For all the things which we have received are not ours; nor indeed have we been settled in this life as in our own house as masters and lords, but as sojourners and newcomers and migrants we are led where we do not wish and when we did not expect. And we are deprived of the possession of what we have, when it seems good to the Lord. 2.1.3 Therefore also a changeable thing is that of this mortal

6

ὕδατι. Τοιαῦται τῶν φιλοσωμάτων αἱ ἀβουλίαι, τοῦτο τῶν φιλοπλούτων καὶ φιληδόνων τὸ τέλος. 1.12.1 Καὶ προσήκει τὸν συνετὸν καὶ προμηθῆ τοῦ μέλλοντος, οἷον φάρμακόν τι προφυλακτικὸν νοσήματος τὴν παραβολὴν ἡγησάμενον, φυγεῖν τῶν ὁμοίων κακῶν τὴν πεῖραν, τὸ συμπαθὲς καὶ φιλάνθρωπον ὡς αἰτίαν τῆς ζωῆς τῆς μελλούσης ἀσκήσαντα. ∆ραματικῶς γὰρ ἡμῖν ὁ λόγος τὴν νουθεσίαν ἐπὶ προσώπων ὡρισμένων ἐξέθετο, ἵνα ἐμψύχως καὶ δεικτικῶς παιδευθέντες τῆς ἀγαθῆς πολιτείας τὸν νόμον, μηδέποτε καταφρονήσωμεν τῶν τῆς Γραφῆς παραγγελμάτων ὡς ἄχρι λόγου μόνον φοβούντων, οὐ μὴν τὴν ἀπειλὴν προαγόντων εἰς τιμωρίαν. 1.12.2 Οἶδα γάρ, ὡς οἱ πολλοὶ τῶν ἀνθρώπων ταῖς τοιαύταις ὑπονοίαις δελεαζόμενοι ἀκώλυτον ἑαυτοῖς τοῦ ἁμαρτάνειν τὴν ἐξουσίαν χαρίζονται. Πᾶν δὲ τοὐναντίον παρὰ τῆς προκειμένης Γραφῆς διδασκόμεθα ὡς οὐδὲ συγγνώμη τις τῆς ἐκεῖ κρίσεως ἐπελαφρύνει τὴν κόλασιν, οὐδ' ἐλαττοῖ τὴν ὡρισμένην τιμωρίαν φιλανθρωπία, εἴ γε δεῖ ταῖς φωναῖς τοῦ πατριάρχου τεκμηριῶσαι τὸν λόγον. 1.12.3 Πολλὰ γὰρ ἱκετευθεὶς παρὰ τοῦ πλουσίου καὶ μυρίων ἐλεεινῶν ἐπακούσας φωνῶν οὔτε τοῖς ὀδυρμοῖς ἐπεκλάσθη οὔτε τῆς ὀδύνης ἐξείλετο τὸν πικρῶς μαστιζόμενον, ἀλλ' αὐστηρῷ δὲ τῷ φρονήματι τὴν δικαίαν κρίσιν ἐκύρωσεν εἰπών, ὅτι πρὸς ἀξίαν ἑκάστῳ διεκλήρωσεν ὁ Θεός· καὶ σοὶ μὲν ἐπὶ τοῦ βίου τρυφήσαντι κατὰ τῶν ἀλλο τρίων συμφορῶν δίκη τοῦ πλημμελήματος ἐπετέθη ἃ πάσχεις· τῷ δ' ἐκεῖ μοχθήσαντι καὶ πατηθέντι καὶ πικρᾶς ἀνασχομένῳ τῆς ἐνσάρκου ζωῆς γλυκεῖα τις καὶ εὐφραίνουσα ἡ ἐνθάδε ἀπενεμήθη κατάστασις. 1.12.4 Πρὸς δὲ τούτοις καὶ χάσμα μέγα εἶναι φησιν, τὸ κωλύον αὐτοὺς τὴν πρὸς ἀλλήλους ἐπιμιξίαν καὶ διεῖργον τοὺς τιμωρουμένους ἀπὸ τῶν τιμωμένων, ἵνα εὐκρινῶς διάγωσιν ἀπ' ἀλλήλων ἀμφότεροι ἀσύγχυτον ἔχοντες τῶν ἀγαθῶν καὶ τῶν κακῶν τὴν ἀπόλαυσιν. Οἶμαι δὲ τὴν αἰσθητὴν παραβολὴν νοητῆς εἶναι θεωρίας αἴνιγμα. Οὐ γὰρ δὴ τάφρον ὄντως ἐννοήσωμεν ἐκεῖ πρὸς τῶν ἀγγέλων διορυχθεῖσαν, οἷάπερ ἐν τοῖς στρατοπέδοις γίνεται τὰ τῶν πολεμίων μεταίχμια, ἀλλὰ τὸν χωρισμὸν ἡμῖν ὁ Λουκᾶς ὑπογράφων ὃν ἀπ' ἀλλήλων εἰσὶ κεχωρισμένοι, οἵ τε κατ' ἀρετὴν καὶ οἱ ἑτέρως ζήσαντες, ὑπέθετο τὴν εἰκόνα τοῦ χάσματος. 1.12.5 Ἐπισφραγίζεται δὲ τὴν διάνοιαν ἡμῶν ταύτην καὶ Ἡσαΐας οὕτω πως λέγων· Μὴ οὐκ ἰσχύει ἡ χεὶρ Κυρίου τοῦ σῶσαι ἢ ἐβάρυνε τὸ οὖς αὐτοῦ τοῦ μὴ ἀκοῦσαι; Ἀλλὰ τὰ ἁμαρτήματα ὑμῶν διιστῶσιν ἀνὰ μέσον ὑμῶν καὶ ἀνὰ μέσον τοῦ Θεοῦ.

2.t.1 Τοῦ αὐτοῦ ὁμιλία ἐκ τοῦ κατὰ Λουκᾶν εὐαγγελίου εἰς τὸν οἰκονόμον τῆς ἀδικίας

2.1.1 Πολλάκις ὑμῖν εἶπον διαλεγόμενος, ὅτι πεπλασμένη τις καὶ ψευδὴς ἔννοια τοῖς ἀνθρώποις ἐμπεσοῦσα πληθύνει τὰ ἁμαρτήματα καὶ ἐλαττοῖ τὰ ἀγαθά, ἅπερ ἕκαστος ὀφείλομεν ἐπὶ τῆς ἑαυτῶν πολιτείας ἀσκεῖν. Αὕτη δέ ἐστιν τὸ νομίζειν, ὅτι πάντα ὅσα ἔχομεν ἐν τῇ χρήσει τοῦ βίου ὡς κύριοι κεκτήμεθα καὶ δεσπόται. Καὶ ταύτης ἕνεκεν τῆς ὑπολήψεως σφοδρῶς ὑπὲρ αὐτῶν διαμαχόμεθα καὶ πολεμοῦμεν καὶ δικαζόμεθα καὶ εἰς ἄκρον αὐτῶν περιεχόμεθα ὡς ἐξαιρέτων κτημάτων. 2.1.2 Ἡ δὲ ἀλήθεια οὐχ οὕτως ἔχει, ἀλλὰ καὶ σφόδρα ἐναντίως. Πάντα γὰρ ὧν ἀπελάβομεν, οὐχ ἡμέτερα· οὔτε μὴν ἡμεῖς ὡς αὐθένται καὶ κύριοι τῷ βίῳ τούτῳ ὡς ἡμετέρᾳ οἰκίᾳ ἐνῳκίσθημεν, ἀλλ' ὡς πάροικοι καὶ ἐπήλυδες καὶ μετα νάσται ἀγόμεθα ὅπου οὐ θέλομεν καὶ ἡνίκα οὐ προσεδοκῶμεν. Ἀφαιρού μεθα δὲ τῶν ὄντων, ὅταν δόξῃ τῷ Κυρίῳ, τῆς κτήσεως. 2.1.3 ∆ιὸ καὶ εὐμετάβολον χρῆμα ἐστιν τὸ τῆς ἐπικήρου ταύτης